Hwy 87

The blistering heatwave from one of our only burning suns felt like we were slow roasted squid on the pavement. Going to the harbour or the beach meant being cooked on full blast. As congested as the city was, it provided some good shade. Plus, with our other sun nova’d 200 years ago, means no more lockdowns. Scientists say the lack of gamma-rays and sun splotches that were developed in its last stages proved that it was on its last leg. This happens to be during my parents' time just before the synth-revolution when the progression of synthetic organs led to the very innovation of the synthetic hippocampus and later the human brain. Early trials were practiced on former veterans to ‘remedy’ their PTSD and Depression, but these trials have resulted in severe psychosis and even suicide. The corporations that invested into these trials were none other than our current day Lakken Sky corporate elites to prolong the longevity of the affluent elite class. Those that were forced to opt for other synthetic prosthesis minus the brain substitution were working class folk like my Momren and Dad due to the high demand of bio-cybernetic advancements in the workforce. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough for them and the government passed new laws to force cybernetic cranial and cerebral implants despite more failed studies.

By 2990, I was born in the era of the largest birth bust in our Universe. My parents, like some, waited until the cold war between the Rogue Rykers Coalition Party (RRCP), the Lakken Military National Allegiance (LMNA) and the neutral parties of the Tkaronto Nomad Resistance (TNR) to have children in revolt against the Limited Fertility Act where our city were limited to have children or if you were expecting, you were arrested sent to get a forced abortion for population limitation. But the war was more so about the People versus the State where the Federal government over all wanted to have control over how, when and why fecundity of a synthetic race was multiplying in the first place. During my time on the streets, I used to hear this old fart on the corner of the financial district where I used to pickpocket Quan-Bankers. He was quite annoying, usually, talking about “Our Creators casted pearls unto swine” or whatever regurgitated bullshit he downloaded. But one day I was sitting on the steps of an old shut down church scheduled to be rebuilt as another QCF (Quan Capitol Financial) Bank. The preacher dude sounded sane for some reason.

He said, “You go on day after day not heeding the signs. Our Creators put us here to fulfill their mission for prosperity of all kinds… We are not from here. Yet we are not from anywhere but birthed from a purpose... The purpose is to restore what was once inhabitable to make it habitable once again… Only then we will be at the end of our retribution...---”

The steel worker had cut him off, “Shut the fack up! Shit!” and continued to cut slabs of metal. That was the last time I saw the preacher. But imagine if we were just put on some random planet to make another Earth. Sure, we don’t have all the chemical compounds that make up an Earth-like planet but it’s not that bad. We are surviving. Sometimes I wonder about the other beings out there surviving too because in some fucked up way, everything can just get fucked anyway. We live, we learn, we grow, corrupt, we reboot and eventually we reach our capacity, and we wipe out. Morbid as it is, that’s life.

Now, I could give less of a shit what anyone wants to do with their shell, at the end of the day, and who the fuck is the government to make that decision for people. Fucken Suits. Lakken government claimed they were economically exhausted and could no longer contribute to the social services and medical sector. Yet, they had no problem quickly privatizing medial facilities, kinda like Donahue-Owen’s, and resulted in sketchy operational practices from anywhere around alternative fertility methods to non-consensual euthanasia. In the midst of all kinds of industrial chaos, I was born in spite. Then I saw my parents had fought frequently and physically until my father left to join the RRCP when I was 5 years old and then my Momren was killed by LMNA for “association to treason” 2 months later. I was forced to raise myself. I spent years living off of scraps of bagels in the back alley of Honest Edna’s. Dodging authorities of the then renamed city Tryterrah City after Lakken’s “ascension” of their stupid sky structure that robs taxpayers just to fund the Elite’s luxurious gilded and protected city. Meanwhile the rest of us have to deal with the inflated cost of living, frequent illnesses and employment limitations. Leaving citizens to buy in the black market. There was a lot of crime activity during this time. Mostly petty like your B&Es and thefts under $5K. I mean who can blame them. Folks that didn’t work for the government or weren’t conscripted were unemployed. During this time, I learned very early on that if you don’t watch your six, someone will watch it for you. And I don’t mean in a kumbaya sort of way.

The war lasted 15 years and eventually I was caught, then drafted into LMNA like many adolescents. During the war, I witnessed many atrocities amongst all species in our nation. Experiments on allied soldiers, killings of all ages, pillaging, rape et certera. I fought the RRCP and was met face to face with my father in battle. I confronted him on why he left us, and he incoherently started babbling about the righteous fight and we were too weak to go with him. He said that he had actually ordered my Momren and me to be executed as a rite of passage as he put, ‘That Sharmota was gonna go to the enemy, anyway.’ I was furious. He attempted to bring me to an end, execution-style. Frozen in time staring down the barrel of the abyss as moments etched in every snowflake reflects back to the deficit of any shred of happiness I wanted to cling to. I struggle to grasp it as it melts out of reach. Only remnants of rage erupt me and pressed forward toward the beginning to my end. My mother was my beginning. She was not perfect, but he had no right. The frozen titanium presses against my skull. Later after the war ended in 3020, he was captured and bludgeoned to death by TNR. My life had never been the same.

~~~

There’s a park bench under a lonely overgrown tree from a cement bedding overshadowing a chess plaza. Lush myrtle and Brunswick greens arch over. I gravitate towards the cement ledge and rest my head on the roots. Grounding into the cool background of livid casted from the generous shade under the altissima. My thoughts vaulted into this space. Being swayed and tide into conflicting anomalies. I told myself not to get into these types of cases or family feuds and potential conflict of interests. I just want to go home to my cat and a cold beer. Fresh out of fucks, not a care in the air. For now, at this moment, it is all behind me. The sun was offensive, so I took my shirt off and dropped it over my face. Suddenly I felt a cool breeze wash over me. “Ah… That’s nice” I sighed in relief. Disappointment set in as Julli stood over me blocking the Sun and clearing her throat in annoyance, “Ahgh-ghem.” I saw a curvaceous silhouette through my shirt until she removed it from my face.

“What the fuck though.” I said sitting up and grabbing it back out of her hand to slip it back on. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to help you with the case.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I never asked you, though.”

“I don’t give a fuck, it’s not your place.”

Julli stepped in closer between my knees, “And what is my place exactly?” She said with pursed lips.

“A place you’ll happily reside.” I said winking and moving her to the side as I got up from the cement ledge.

“Oh, is that so. I'd like to see you try.” Julli said, winking back. Unbelievable.

“You can’t be here; you’ll compromise the case.” I said putting my shirt back on. Julli scanned me from her peripherals as if I hadn't noticed.

“Are we on a case right now?” She said, encircling me as she tugged on the back of my shirt.

She’s testing me. She thinks she’s slick. I push her hand away. I’m not falling for her charmed smile and sultry voice anymore. Nor the way her fingernails are now tracing the contours in my back. My legs immediately succumb to ramen, but I catch myself becoming weak to her advances.

“Not ‘we’ for obvious reasons.” I said as I grabbed her hand. “Stop.”

Julli wet and bit her lower lip as her doe eyes met mine, “You sure? I could be really useful in more ways than one...”

“-- I’m not entertaining your skullduggery.”

“Mmm. Funny and cute. All that’s missing is a few more inches.” Julli said, gesturing to her height, smiling cheekily. “Then maybe you can not only entertain but partake in this skullduggery.”

I scoff at her. ‘Please. Spare me. You’re literally bite-sized.’ I thought as I rolled my eyes at her. “Whatever makes you sleep at night, shorty. Now jog off.”

She shrugged, “Well damn. You sure told me. Roast to toast.”

“Ugh.” I pulled out a cigarette, ignoring her cheesy remark. I brushed past her, catching up to where I should have been. Julli followed behind me, not catching the hint. She grabbed my shoulder. “What!” I said through my teeth as smoke seared from it. As I whipped around my face met hers. Our nose and lips a breath away from each other.

She pursed her lips and cut me a smile. “I just want to make sure Mama’s getting her money’s worth.”

“Her money’s worth…” Shook my head and took another draw. “Who cares. She doesn’t know you’re here.” I blew the smoke in her face. I scan her for any shift in her body language and paralinguistics. No change. Generally she was hard to read.

Julli sucks in the smoke and blows in back in mine. “Mmm… No… But You can pretend I’m not even here.” Her pupils met mine like she knew that would be very hard to do. She yanks the cig out of my hand cheekily as she hid her twitching nose. A sinister smirk crept on her face.

“Julli. Implicating the case, forfeits the deposit. I will close the case. Don’t you want me to find your beau?--”

“-- Tsk-tsk. Ex-beau…” Julli corrected with her finger to my lips.

“... Ex-beau.” I said pushing it out the way. “You need to go.”

Julli stared into my pupils in disbelief, “Fine. But I’ll be watching your ass.”

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”

“Be careful, I just might.” She said affirmingly as she jaywalked across the street, taking my cigarette with her.

~~~

I entered the biaxial fiberglass prosthetics manufacturer warehouse through the roof where an armed TMS guard was stationed. A contact from this facility gave word that those employees had bagged sacks of silica and microbial fiberglass. I went in and grabbed some overalls from the locker room the contact had left for me. I head down the corridor for the assembly department. Legally operated manufacturing companies usually hire supervised AI deep-learning systems automated to oversee production lines that operate the robots and reviewed periodically by prompt engineers. This allows production can go smoothly on assembly lines without any hiccups. But sometimes you run into backwoods industrial companies attempting to cut cost by jumping through loopholes to avoid paying for the mandated ‘droids. I get it. Added cost to hire an Infosec department can be an exorbitant venture that can bring most corporate entities to bankruptcy when they can hire a fleet of synthetic humanoids for a fraction of the cost of labour. This made investigations like this a cakewalk. In addition, I’ll get access to their database and look at their financial trail.

I entered the assembly facility and put on a disposable coverall over my stained navy uniform, blending into a sea of droids working each line. I zoomed in with my retinal interceptor and spotted an individual at the assembly line packing the materials in their coveralls and abandoning their station and leaves out the south exit. I follow them to the shipping and receiving area. Robotic arms swirl and twirl in sequence, laying packs onto the palettes and the palettes to the skids. The person opens a gate to the fridged concrete floor, looks around to then jump down. I come from behind the wall and follow him underground to a sulphur smelling tunnel lined with frosted red light caged motion detection fixtures. I stood still in an attempt not to alarm them of my presence as the darkness encased me. The lights went out behind the person as they turned the corner and head down the right corridor. I slowly crept up to the sides of the curved damp brick walls and the questionable liquid below me engulfed around my rubber boots. I hadn’t tripped the motion sensors but the pitter-patter from their footsteps had come to a stop midway down the tunnel.

My heart felt like it was in a TC drag race. I inhaled the stench from the toxicity and pushed it deep into my stomach. I looked around the corner and the person headed into a secret passage embedded into the brick wall covered by a large safety sign. They disappeared behind it. I followed behind them catching the door before it closed shut. It was a good thing too because it looked like the only access was with a fob. I placed a broken brick between the door’s hinges so it wouldn’t close all the way. The passage led to the abandoned underground metro station under Racsborough Station. The individual was speaking to someone in some dark blue hoodie, white snapback, dark sunglasses with dark grey distressed jeans and white sneakers. The worker pulled out the bag from their coveralls and handed it to the hooded person. I use my retinal interceptor to take photos of the encounter and attempted to zoom into the receiver’s face, but it showed up scrambled. They’re using FRDE (facial recognition destabilizer encryption) . I open a vile with microscopic drones used in Sav’s surgeries and attach the controller to my neurolink. If this pre-war tech works, hopefully I can get a manual image of the target and airdrop them to my cloud printer at home. They parted ways and I turned back to the assembly facility, and I brush past my contact to obtain the fob to the offices upstairs. Staff were away today due to a municipal holiday called Relic’s Day over the founding of Tryterrah. I enter the Accounting Department and start to crack the computer. Fortunate for me this building is outdated so hacking it was a breeze. I got access to all the logs and data pertaining to the company’s financials and found that the company was receiving miscellaneous cash loans from a BQ Enterprises. The same funds then get paid back to BQ Enterprises through TN Bank to QCF Bank account. I downloaded a copy and sent it to my server. Then uploaded spyware to keep an eye on any changes to the files and relay live encrypted footage back to me .

I leave the warehouse at nightfall and cross the street to go looking for Julli. She was sitting in her UTV in the alley drinking from a water bottle and swishing the liquid in her mouth before spitting it out. “You waited for me?”

“No.” Julli said pouring the water on a rock before using it to sharpen her knife.

“So, what the fuck you doin’ here, Julli.” I said plainly.

“I had left to get pizza before heading home and they gave me extra pizza. I figured you might be hungry.” Julli said without making eye contact still sharping her blade.

“I could eat…” I said looking at her. The pizza wasn’t the most appetizing on my mind.

Her gaze locked in with mine, “Dom, sit your ass down in the car.”

“Feed a nigga then.” I said climbing into the passenger seat.

“Don’t make me change my mind.” She dropped her knife in the center console and started the car then drove off.

I open the pizza box to find one big slice of pineapple with tofu chunks and basil, “I get it now. You’re a psychopath.” Julli grabbed the pizza out of my hand as it caused her to swerve in the road. She took the pizza and bit it and attempted to hand it back to me. Jiggling the oozing warm cashew cheese in my face. I gasped, “Are you crazy?!”

Julli cackled, and gave me back the bitten pizza, “Crazy enough to eat the last slice.” My stomach started to growl. I grabbed it out her hand and threw it out the window. “Woooow. Petty. Last time I do shit for you.” She said pouting.

“Turn here.” I said as she then made a turn, “I know a better place.” We pull up to Buk Wot the only and last Ethiopian restaurant in Tryterrah tucked between a project and a Dominican convenience store underground like a hidden artifact of simpler times. The smell of Kitfo and Mesmir flooded the whole block attracting a line of customers from all over. I got out the UTV and Julli follows taking a big whiff of the cataclysmically savoury fragrances that penetrated and aroused the senses.

“Oh my gosh. That smells amazing.” Julli closed her eyes to inhale the flavors again. “Wow…”

I smiled and grabbed her hand, leading her into the alley down the steps and dodging the lineup. We turned the corner and saw a big florescent sign that read ‘Buk Wot Ethiopian Cuisine’ showing a Meskel over an Akumite symbol. Julli looked at the place in awe walking towards the restaurant. It was a normal restaurant. The tables and glasses were clean, and you can order Tej by the pitcher. Upon entering, a hostess that recognized me waved at us signaling us to sit at a booth, “Aman-takho, Dom! I hope you are behaving yourself.” She greeted giggling and nudging me.

“Behaving is not in my vocabulary, Gigi.” I replied winking at her.

Julli was not amused, “I don’t understand what’s so funny.” She said glaring at the hostess. Gigi hesitantly smiled and gave us our menus before running off. “Well, you seem popular with the ladies.”

I let out a sigh, “Like the place?”

“Yeah, I’ll let you know after the food comes. Who runs this place? I’ve never seen it before.”

“My uncle Tesfa and my cousin Gigi run it.”

Julli paused, “I’m sorry—I thought she was—Nevermind.”

I laughed at Julli, “If she was what?”

“Nothing, ho. The fuck.” Julli said rolling her neck smiling.

A big husky burly man with robotic prosthetic legs approached the table, “Aman, Dom! What you having today? Sega and Alicha? And what will your… Uh…”

“… Client.”

Julli mouthed, ‘cLiEnT’ to me rolling her eyes, “I’m Julli. I’m an experience.”

Tesfa busted out laughing, “I like that! I’m gonna give you our house special if you’re up for the experience. Tej Pitchers?”

“Yesss!!!” Julli ecstatically slaps the table looking at me.

“Alright Sega and Alicha for Domshiro and house special for Julli the Client…” Uncle Tesfa winked at me and made off with their order.

Julli gasped, “Awww Domshirooo. How cute.”

“We should get this to go. This is bad idea.” I said getting up. Gigi approaches, “Wait, where you going?”

“We’re going to remove the stick out of Domshiro’s ass.”

“Shut the fuck up Julli.” I hissed through my teeth.

“Oh yes. Dom hates being called that since we were kids. Takeout then, I’m assuming?” Gigi laughed.

I nodded and turned to Julli smiling at me, “What.”

Julli shrugged and tucked her locs behind her ear. Gigi came back with our orders bagged up for us. She turned leveling to Gigi, “Do they have anymore embarrassing nicknames I should know about?” Gigi giggled and whispered, “Ha! I’ll tell you another time whenever you come back.” I grabbed Julli, told them Salam and left. As she was dropping me home, she pulled up to the curb and stopped.

“Thanks for the ride.” I told Julli before closing the door. Before I walked off from the curb, Julli’s voice called out my name behind me. Piecing me through my sternum as my heart fell into my stomach.

“This is your place? You live in a warehouse?”

“Yeah, so.”

“So, you gonna invite me in? -- ”

“-- No.”

“Why.” Julli screwed her face.

“Ever heard of Conflict of Interest.”

“More like Conflict with Interest. You take all your clients to your family’s restaurant?” Julli said with conviction.

I looked around, “Alright c’mon. Vamos.”

Julli backed up and drove into park beside my building. We went up the steps to the side door and head up the staircase to the roof. We started to unpack the food on the palette and sat down to eat. The night was warm and humid, but my place inside was a mess and didn’t want her to get access to confidential documents. I’m not making that mistake again. “Where are the forks?” Julli said rummaging through the plastic bags.

“You eat with your hands.”

“Ah, okay.” She said unsure looking at her polished nails.

I scooped a small morsel into a piece of ingera and held it up to her to take it out from my hand. She opened her mouth and ate it out from my finger slowly sucking them off, “Like that…?”

I froze, “Uh, yeah…”

She pulled me in by my collar, “You taste good.” I shutter. She sucks my fingers clean and slides it down her jeans before letting out a gasp. I try to pull away, but her nails pull my face to hers, I bite my lips in resistance, but my body was revolting. I slide my fingers over her clit until her eyes roll back and begin to move into it. ‘I can’t…’ my eyes say to hers but she so warm and wet. She protests for my continuance and grabs me by my collar, and I take her. I bite her lips and suck her wetness off my fingers. She grabs my fingers and sucks it too. Nasty. Uninhibited. Primal. Just my type. But we shouldn’t. There’s too many moving parts but I can’t fight her anymore. She whispers ‘Don’t Stop’ between my lips and guides my fingers to part her cunt. With every stroke she moans ‘…please…’ Every warm slick embrace that followed flowed between every parted contention in our eyes melted away. Our pupils merge like the scrys from the Nok Lake. Balmy sienna folds lapping, tiding and curling. Every dexterity pirouette betwixt her milk of honey. I trace my kisses down from her neck to her pierced nipples like footsteps of generous caravans along the dunes. Leaving keepsakes along my journey. A journey that felt like we’ve travelled together many lifetimes. Every touch felt like a timestamp of multiple eras, forgotten memories. Her lips part an invitation for deviation. Was the pleasure too much? She pulls my hair down to taste my work. I pull her jeans off to witness her magenta thong cutting though her folds. I kiss her hopeless pussy and bit her thong off snaping it back in her erect clit. She winced as she turned away.

Grabbing my hands as I grip her thighs. I begin to lick and kiss around her pussy, taunting her, teasing her until she creams. I flick her clit, and her moans get loud enough for pedestrians to hear. I grab her by her neck and bite her lips, “Shut the fuck up…” She then scratches the back of my neck, clawing her way up my scalp. “Make me…” She said as a demonic smirk crept on her face. She then pushed me down to her now throbbing vulva. The smell of her fruit intoxicates me, drunken in possession, I engulf my lips over hers. My tongue worming her partition as she grasped for the words. Drinking her sweet nectar as it gushes with every slurp indulged in. Turning my tongue in circulation from her canal out, sucking her labia as one, blanketing around her pussy with my tongue as it exited and inserted her over and over again. I move up to suck her before flicking it with the tip of my tongue.

Julli moved back but I pulled her closer to into my mouth until I was deep into her cunt. “Ahhh, Daddy…” She screamed and grabbed my hair tighter, “Fuck me. Don’t stop. Hold me.” She moves my hands over to her D cups as they swooped to the side waiting to be loved. I come up and she ripes off my pants and I rub my clit against hers. Mine bigger and erect, I slide it between her slippery pussy and she squirmed in ecstasy. “Fuck…” We both exclaimed and moaned in unison. We grasped each others hands as she bit my fingers. We yell echoing into all of Tryterrah and collapsed. Cumming heart to heart and I tongue fuck her mouth as she sucked it back. “Julli.” I gasped into her mouth as we fainted into each other.